


This Started As a Joke I Promise

by ChickenAndRice55



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Massage, Other, crackship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 00:08:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29767698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChickenAndRice55/pseuds/ChickenAndRice55
Summary: you ever write a crackship oneshot as a joke to share with your friends but accidentally get kinda into it and then suddenly you’ve stayed up until 6 and it’s 4k words long. Yeah. Also this contains a ton of post embrace the void headcanons and content
Relationships: Relic Seeker Lemm x The Hollow Knight
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	This Started As a Joke I Promise

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 2 of And Leave, the Creature Didn't should be out in about 3 days!

It had been some months since the blinding light had dissipated from the husk’s eyes. Most immediately collapsed, their reanimated corpses no longer being driven by any power, but some of the lucky few were able to recover after extensive care.

It was no secret why the light disappeared. After the little ghost had conquered the Pantheons, uniting the Void and taking their ancient form once more to finally defeat the Radiance, they had found a new purpose.

Lemm knew from his study of the Arcane Eggs, ancient stones containing a well of knowledge in each layer, that the Void’s purpose was that of destruction. Its purpose, its reason for existence, was simply to bathe the world in an unending sea of darkness. The Ancient Civilization had worshiped it, those bugs idealized and embraced the sort of end it would bring, and through their focus allowed it to take the destructive form of the Shade Lord. The Light God, the Radiance, would counter this creature’s attempts, and across eons their battles would rage on.

Eventually, the civilization that worshipped the Void had collapsed, leaving the Void to pool within the remnants of its forgotten kingdom, lacking the focus needed to take form. The Light God’s benevolence grew, as she began fearing a similar and more total fate. When the Wyrm had come ages later and inadvertently stole her focus, the fear and anger she felt caused her to enforce her remembrance through the dreams of bugs. These dreams would be resisted, causing her anger to only inflate, and the suppression of these dreams plagued and distorted the simple bugs.

The Wyrm, fearing the loss of his kingdom, had then devised a plan to…

Ah, it seemed the historian had started to ramble to himself. Where was he? Oh, yes, the unnamed Knight’s new purpose.

Through the newfound focus of the Godseekers, the Knight had ascended the Pantheon and united the Void to take the form of the Shade Lord once again. Upon their victory, proving themself the God of Gods which the Seekers had been…well, seeking, Godhome had become a kingdom of their worship within the dream realm, offering endless focus and prayer to the newly reformed Void being.

You’d think this story must end in destruction, the Void now standing as the ultimate power with nothing that could possibly stop it from spreading, and yet…that didn’t happen.

In their new form, the Knight could remember the past life their form lived. Their past purpose. But still, they also remembered their time spent as a Vessel. As a mortal. The friendships they had made, the beauty and serenity that even the decaying Hallownest could offer, the life they had encountered, they remembered it more fondly than anything relating to their ancient goals. And perhaps, because of this, because of this deeper understanding of mortality, and morality. Because of their memories, they had found a new purpose. As God of Gods, they wished to bring the world only peace.

Somehow, they weren’t even sure themself, but somehow, they escaped the dream realm in their new form and, still baring the King’s Brand, had adopted Hallownest. The gates to the City of Tears had opened for the first time in an age, and work had begun to rebuild, and heal. The old king’s wish for perpetuation was replaced by a call for evolution, though a slow journey it would be, as first Hallownest had to rebuild back to its prime. The new Monarch; Monarch was the term they preferred, their first two priorities were getting the recently uninfected to shelter and safety where they could heal and be treated, and reestablishing the kingdom’s capital.

And now, some months later, just under a year, the kingdom was…the kingdom was still early in its efforts to heal, but things were far better now. The lingering effects of the old plague were slowly dissipating, and some bugs were able to pursue their passions once again, such as Lemm.

Lemm had written many history books, being one of the most knowledgeable bugs on the civilization before Hallownest. The new Monarch didn’t wish to hide their shameful past life, and graciously allowed his knowledge to be shared, and a new invention had made sharing this knowledge easier than ever before, for all bugs. An information and education boom was upon the kingdom.

Though often considered brutes, the Mantis Tribe was rather technologically inclined…even if their machines were built of bone and sinew. A particular mantis, an engineer who worked close to the Mantis Lords and maintained several of the lock and piston mechanisms used in various gates and large doors, particularly the one keeping out the beasts of Deepnest, had devised a machine which could press interchangeable bones carved into various written symbols with dye stained on the tip onto sheets of parchment. This method of “printing” was highly efficient, and quickly made literature common among the mantises. By the Monarch’s second month of rule, the Mantis Lords had surprised everyone by offering the invention as a gift to the healing kingdom, asking only for the outsiders to share their vast history in return.

Another more knowledgeable, none other than the Wyrm’s own still remaining daughter and princess of Deepnest, had written in length about the Pale King’s rule, and his unsuccessful plan to seal the Radiance away, and how the Knight had eventually defeated the Goddess for good. Most of the kingdom and abroad were fascinated by the grim tale they had unwittingly lived through.

Though Lemm in particular was ecstatic to finally learn the story of the Hollow Knight, the figure that had been immortalized in the statue just outside his home.…

Again, he had been rambling to the air. He didn’t blame himself, however. The past year was so full of developments and revelations that his new job as historian had completely captured his passion.

He had returned to the City of Tears rather late, having just ventured to Greenpath to try and fine more information about the mysterious land of Unn, as well as retrieve some vegetation for future meals. The city slept, and though he previously considered the city’s unending downpour to be quite drab, his good mood made the soft sound of rain cast only peace during his walk from the recently renamed Dreamer’s Station…the new Monarch wished to distance the kingdom from its old ruler, allowing his name to only exist in historical remarks, as a reminder of the grave deeds some bugs are willing to commit. They were swift in their decision to rename the King’s Station in memorial to the Dreamers who had sacrificed themselves by the old king’s order.

He decided to detour though the base of the Watcher’s Spire, the area where the city’s first museum, his museum, had been established. He gave a quick visit to all his relics, remarking to no one about story of their acquisition, and after appreciating the scenery he went through the back entrance to continue his walk home. He took some steps before looking up to acknowledge the statue he was so used to seeing.

But the sight he instead caught left him…starstruck.

Standing there, looking up towards the statue, was the Hollow Knight.

He knew they survived their containment, thanks to the action of the Knight. They were described towards the end of Hornet’s book as one of the worst victims of the Pale King’s actions, and the only known Vessel remaining after the Shade Lord’s formation.

Lemm didn’t know how to respond, but was put on the spot when the Vessel turned to their right to acknowledge him.

“I- you…you’re…?”

The Hollow Knight stared back rather blankly. Hornet’s book also described them as injured from the attempt of containment, infection weakening their body, but it neglected the details. In terms of appearance, they were…tall, for one. Very tall. Their cloak seemed new, it was silver and fit their body well. In terms of injury, or at least the ones most apparent, they were missing their left arm completely, and silk bandages were covering their right eye. It was a difficult sight at first, but they seemed to stand proud despite their scars.

Lemm realized they had been standing in silence for some moments, and decided to start.

“…I…see you’ve taken a notice of the fountain. Of…of your fountain. It’s impressive, isn’t it?”

The tall Vessel looked back towards their monument and nodded solemnly. Lemm couldn’t even begin to guess what kind of emotions this must be instilling.

“…You’ve been through much, Hollow Knight. As a Relic S- “ oh, right. Still not used to the new title. “…As a historian, I know much of your struggles. I feel as though I should thank you. You were willing to sacrifice yourself for this dreadful kingdom. Or…I suppose it was less dreadful in your age.”

The Hollow Knight stared on. They wouldn’t agree that they deserved thanks…they were willing to sacrifice themself, but…that was what made them a failure. Their will. The will they couldn’t hold back. Their mind had corrupted them, made them an impure Vessel…if they had only resisted…

Lemm noticed the Vessel sulking, and on further inspection it seemed their bandages were becoming quite damp from the rain. That wouldn’t do.

“…Knight, we could appreciate this statue more were we not getting drenched. Might you enjoy some shelter?” Lemm wasn’t exactly the homeliest sort, but he still thought it necessary to offer.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lemm and the Knight stood, admiring the statue from the view of his…well, at this point it was his home more than his office, having moved out all his relics and replacing them with certain commodities. Doors were added to the shelving embedded in the wall behind his desk to create a cupboard, the free-standing shelf to the left had been removed and replaced with a decent sized bed, and drapes were added to the large window to allow for privacy during sleeping hours. The Lumafly within his lantern had escaped a day ago, so he lit the room instead with candles…watching in the dim lighting as the rain fell outside was quite nice.

It was somewhat…difficult, for the knight to fit into the room. They were so tall, taller than any other bug the historian had seen, so much so they had to sit down on the lift to his quarters and nearly had to crawl through the door. They stood about twice as tall as him, and were their posture better the difference would have been even larger…why was he so focused on their height?

“Ahem, I apologize, Knight. Thankfully I recently cleared these quarters, it’s somewhat more spacious than before. Originally I simply store my collection here, I appreciate gathering trinkets, you see. Anything that can tell a story. But in this kingdom’s resurrection I considered it wiser to gather them in a public museum in the base of the Watcher’s Spire…at first I thought that a mistake, most not holding a passion for the ancient things, but I’ve grown fond of the occasional few visitors who can appreciate the relics for not just what they are, but the story they represent…bah, but that’s enough from me…is there anything you could tell, Hollow Knight?”

The Hollow Knight simply hunched their shoulders in response. They weren’t even sure what they’d say could they communicate, other than offer thanks for the shelter.

Lemm knew these creatures couldn’t speak, but momentarily forgot as he so desperately wanted to conversate. After all, a Vessel, the Vessel, stood right before him. A creature born of God and Root and Void, and the one who had seen the White Palace in its prime, who had been raised and taught by the kingdom’s former rulers…

The amount of knowledge they must have held surely rivaled that which is stored in the relics beneath them.

Lemm waited a moment, thinking of how to continue.

“…Perhaps you’d better respond to simpler questions. Might I ask some? You’re an awfully intriguing fellow.”

Hollow nodded. They weren’t really one for conversation, but this stranger had already offered much; shelter from the rain, new wrappings for their eye, tea they couldn’t drink…it seemed only fair to humor him.

“Very well…I’ve read about you in your sister’s book. Fine work she made recording a point in history thought so lost. She’d make good help at the museum, seems a knack for chronology. Not to mention would save me the work.”

Hollow turned their head in a noncommittal manner. Clearly this man had never met Hornet. Their sister was kind to those close, but also mysterious and stern, and rather aggressive to strangers. She tended to keep to herself, so it was a surprise when she started writing. Perhaps, with wide scale publication now being a possibility, she felt it necessary to share the information so few bugs had known…or maybe it was a passion she only now had the ability to pursue.

“She had described Vessels as beings of pure Void held in form by a shell…this is true, yes?”

They nodded, a bit confused. That was a rather simple question, especially from someone so clearly knowledgeable.

“So, to be clear, your body…it is comprised of Void?”

Another quick nod. That seemed rather apparent…why’d he wish to ask?

“…May I feel it?”

They stared a moment, waiting for him to continue. That was…a question. They weren’t sure exactly how to feel about it.

Lemm quickly understood how his question was rather awkward, and wished to explain himself.

“I’ve always an interest in that ancient kingdom…in its surviving documentation, Void was only ever described as cold, destructive, corrupting, blissfully consuming. Ugh, rather pointless to gives such vague description of so important a thing. I know it not dangerous now while in focus, least according to the Monarch, and be it curiosity or foolishness…I’ve always wanted to see how it felt.”

Lemm would have thought himself leaning in rather quickly with such a question, but was blinded by his passion for research. He often found himself fantasizing feeling the substance, feeling a sensation so few had ever felt, and none had properly documented…for some reason in this context that thought had made his face feel warm, but he ignored that.

Hollow thought it a…somewhat understandable request. They had visited Sheo before and found themself holding back the impulse to press their hand into the paint he had drying on a canvas, and during trips through the Fog Canyon they would often wonder how it would feel to reach their hand into a swarm of Lumaflies as they expelled their static energy…perhaps this was a similar situation.

They nodded, crouched down, realized they were still rather tall and instead sat down, and then held out their arm in front of their body.

Lemm stepped over, and with only a split moment of hesitation, he reached out and held their arm with both hands.

“…It’s…” he was somewhat lost for words, feeling the Knight’s arm up and down, occasionally cupping their hand or rubbing their elbow.

“It’s so…it’s…for one, it’s cold…as expected, but…” describing the feeling was difficult, and the Hollow Knight looked on in curiosity. Their body had been held before, when they were younger by their mother, and more recently in their sister’s solid 4/10 attempt at a comforting hug, but they’ve never heard the sensation described before beyond ‘cold and weird.’

After a long moment of consideration, Lemm finally knew how to continue…though it would be an awfully wordy comparison.

“Tell me, Knight…do you know of the study of electricity?”

Hollow shifted their head to the side.

“Ah…you see, after the…situation, within the Soul Sanctum was…well, cleaned…the building was renovated, and new students arrived for study. Mostly ones from outside the city who didn’t read the history books, I’d say. The new Scholars of the Sanctum had shifted their study from Soul to electricity, the Monarch had been very clear in forbidding their study of Soul…anyhow, these new scholars would often have shows to demonstrate their discoveries and inventions, and frequently displayed this glass orb with a device called an electrode in the center…I can’t quite remember how the device worked, but when you placed your hand upon the surface small bolts of energy would shoot out, creating a sensation that…wasn’t painful, but still so foreign and…somewhat addictive. This Void feels similar to that, but more…gripping? Not sticky, but it feels as though it’s reaching out…it’s quite strange.”

That was an interesting description, Hollow thought. It would have been more useful if they had ever felt the mentioned device before, but they could somewhat tell what was meant.

“…Void is a rather interesting substance…I’m unsure how much you know about it, though I imagine it being your form offers some knowledge.” He continued, without ceasing his caresses.

Hollow shook their head. They understood the assumption, but in truth knew very little about their form.

“Oh, so…you do not? Would you care for me to tell you?” there was a noticeable excitement in Lemm’s voice.

They nodded, still enjoying the massage their arm was receiving.

“Void…it is interesting. How it exists and where it came from is a question I doubt even the Monarch could answer, though it’s often stated in ancient records to be the oldest entity. Perhaps the original life of this world was forged by that darkness, or maybe it existed in spite of it. Questions that we’re left only to ponder.” As the historian spoke, he admired the Vessel’s body. Deep and dark, seeming an abyss that only had any discernible shape against its surroundings. The Void was such a fascinating sight…

As the historian felt up the Knight’s arm he suddenly…and rather inexplicably desired to feel past their elbow.

“May I…?” he asked, hovering a hand above the Vessel’s shoulder. They nodded, and in turn Lemm stepped over to Hollow’s right side and started to rub down the full length of their arm, as the Knight looked on, waiting for him to continue his ramblings.

“Little history exists between the time Void first pooled and the ancient bugs discovered it, but through what few records they left are we able to decipher much about its nature. Its innate desire to consume was noticed, and one of the first known civilizations had established around it.”

As he spoke, he moved further and further around the Vessel’s body, eventually coming to a stop behind them and resting a hand on each shoulder.

“Inspired or mad, those ancient bugs. They devoted their worship to no lord, or power, or strength, but to the very darkness itself.”

Lemm suddenly became aware of where his exploration had led him.

“…Oh! Ah, I’m…sorry, I- “ he tried to pull his hands away, but the Knight reached to press his hand back into their shoulder.

“…Do you…wish for me to continue?”

The Vessel gave a single nod. This felt nice, and they were learning must about their form.

“…Very well.”

Hollow pulled their hand back, and Lemm began to rub their shoulders in small circles. He’d never given a massage before, wasn’t too sure why he was giving one now, but he figured it would be hard to make a mistake. The Vessel seemed to just enjoy being felt…

“…Where was I…yes, the worship. The ancient bugs worshipped the Void, and through their focus, the Void was given form.”

A hand trailed down the Vessel’s back, pushing up to try and release tension. Both knew Vessels didn’t have muscles or bones, which was a rather strange fact come to think, but this motion was still very soothing. Hollow tilted their head back slightly as they contemplated what the last sentence meant, hoping the person making them feel so relaxed would continue his story.

“…You see, Void can be given focus and form, but not mind. Mind is intrinsic within the Void, and a powerful mind it is. It’s through that mind that the void can will itself to take different forms, be given imprints, and…”

Lemm moved his hands to a more neutral position back on the Vessel’s shoulders, where he rested them still. This caused Hollow to perk up slightly, wondering what was stopping him.

“…Vessel…though his intentions were grand, the old king…he was poorly informed. Poorly researched.”

Hollow looked straight ahead. He was talking about the Pale King. What was he…?

“…It would have been impossible, you see…for a vessel to truly be…hollow. That’s not the nature of Void, despite what you father had thought. This is information I’ve recently uncovered, stored within a deep layer of several Arcane Eggs…Void can be without focus and form, but not without mind. The Monarch…confirmed for me.”

…So it was…impossible. This whole time…no Vessel could have been hollow. It was impossible. It was impossible to create a true Hollow Knight. The Pale King was misinformed by his own research.

“…I’m sorry, friend, but…that is your nature. Void given form by Root and Wyrm, with mind destined to be instilled, always residing within you…I…hope now wasn’t a strange time to inform you.”

…Hollow simply looked on. This was…was…

This was…

Validating.

For so long, they thought themself a failure. Even after Hornet convinced them their father’s plan was cruel and unnecessary and heartless, they still thought that if they just tried harder, or tried not as hard, or were simply better at not thinking, they could have done it. They hated their mind, their father convinced them it shouldn’t exist, it couldn’t. They hated their will, and yet…it…it wasn’t their fault. They couldn’t be hollow, even when they tried. Void cannot be hollow.

They weren’t a failure…they were simply mistreated. Misunderstood.

“…Would you like me to-“ whatever Lemm was about to say, he was cut off. In a swift motion, Hollow stood, turned around, and embraced their friend. Almost as much as when their sibling had first freed them from the infection, almost as much as when their sister had carried them to a safe spot to start to heal after they had shambled out of the Black Egg, they wished for a way to vocalize their thankfulness. They felt… they felt…

They felt their friend’s lips.

They looked on, but didn’t pull back. Their friend was kissing the spot where their mouth would be.

Lemm opened his eyes and caught the Vessel’s gaze, before all at once realizing what he just did.

“I, Ah…Ah…I’m so, sorry I just, you…and you- I wanted to…you felt so, I jus- “

The Vessel placed their mask back up against the historian’s lips, and after a moment of confusion he closed his eyes and allowed himself to savor the moment. For both of them, this felt so…so right.

Lemm pulled back again, looking into the Vessel’s gaze with soft eyes and wondering how such a perfect moment could be real.

“Knight, I…this is so…we just…are you…sure?”

Hollow nodded, not being able to hold back their excitement. This was love they felt, for someone so…informed, so good at feeling their body, so…

Admittedly, they didn’t know much about their friend, but the love still burned deep within their form, and the historian stared back with an identical admiration.

Then Lemm remembered something a little important.

“…My name is Lemm, by the way.”

Lemm…Hollow didn’t even notice they didn’t know his name. It was a nice name…they immediately committed it to memory.

“…I hope you enjoyed the massage, Knight.”

They started another embrace, and nodded yes. It was very good…they’d like another soon.

Lemm held the embrace for as long as he could, enjoying the sensation of the Void against his body. They spent a long moment together, before he remembered that it was quite late when he first saw the Vessel, and they had spent a rather long time in his quarters as well.

“…I hate so sincerely to disrupt this moment, love, but…I will need to work in 6 hours…more like 5. Might I walk you to the station?”

Hollow could barely give up the embrace, but eventually had to answer. They didn’t wish to be a bother, but Lemm insisted, and so together they walked back to the station Lemm had arrived from. As they passed the statue where they had just met some short hours ago, they took a moment to think about how different their lives would be after this night, and promised to meet each other here again tomorrow…at an earlier hour.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been slightly less than two months, and each day the Vessel and historian felt their love double. Hollow had started helping at the Museum, having some interest in the many trinkets, but mostly enjoying seeing their partner’s glowing passion. Lemm would bring Hollow to various parts of the kingdom, often to study the rich history of the area...or just enjoy the sights.

Eventually Hollow introduced Lemm to their family, which consisted of their siblings, the God of Gods and the princess of Deepnest, their father, a Nailmaster who had adopted them, their uncles, the Nailmaster’s two equally skilled brothers, one of which a renowned artist, their uncle-in-law, another artist who had in the past forged the most perfect ever contained within the bounds of the kingdom, and their grandfather, the Great Nailsage.

Lemm felt like he stood out, slightly, but they all gladly accepted him. Ghost, who still preferred to be called Ghost by family, offered to pay Lemm back the Geo they were given by him when they were a Vessel, but he declined the offer. They made fair trade, with all the relics Ghost had offered, not to mention he already had the most valuable thing in the world.

By Bretta age 16, printed in Dirtmouth.

Bretta, stop writing about real bugs like this. Please. You are no longer allowed to use my printing press.

-Hornet.


End file.
